Board of Directors

As of 2 March 2026, Romain Ciarlet is Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, following his tenure as Executive Director and General Secretary, roles he has held since 2019.

In this capacity, he has made a significant contribution to shaping the Foundation’s strategic direction, particularly in the areas of fundraising, the development of strategic partnerships, and the coordination of cross-cutting initiatives.
He has notably played a leading role in the deployment of the Foundation’s blue economy and blue finance axis, through key initiatives such as the ReOcean Fund, the Ocean Innovators Platform and the Blue Economy Index.

These initiatives aim to accelerate the emergence of innovative solutions, strengthen dialogue between entrepreneurs and investors, and channel financial flows towards ocean conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources.

Before joining the Foundation, Romain Ciarlet pursued a diplomatic career in Germany and Russia, where he was involved in international projects related to economic cooperation, culture and science. This background has given him a nuanced understanding of the interactions between public policy, economic dynamics and sustainability challenges.

Mrs Maria Damanaki is a member of the Friends of OceanCommission of the World Economic Forum. She sits on theBoard of Directors of European Marine Regions Forum andof Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Maria Damanaki served for five years as the GlobalManaging Director for Oceans at The Nature ConservancyUSA. She also served as the European Union Commissionerfor Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Under her leadership, the Commission introduced a new Common Fisheries Policy that brought fish populations back to healthierlevels—from as few as five sustainable stocks in 2010 to up more than 30 today. She also served as a Greekpolitician for many years. She was the first woman leader of a Greek political party. Author of four books onGender and Human Rights issues, Education and European Policy.

In 2005, Professor Tim Flannery was named Australian Humanist of the Year (AHOY), and in 2007 he was appointed Australian of the Year. In 2011, he was made a Knight of the Order of Saint Charles. He is also a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a body comprising Australian scientists, economists and business leaders working on solutions to protect water, land and biodiversity.

He was one of the founding directors of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and a member of the WWF International Board. In 2007, he co-founded and chaired the Copenhagen Climate Council, a coalition of businesses and communities that worked with the Danish government during COP15. In 2011, he was appointed Australia’s first Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he established the Australian Climate Council, an independent non-profit organisation, where he now serves as Chief Councillor. He is a member of Tata Power’s Sustainability Advisory Board (India).

Mr. Alain Le Roy, a graduate engineer from the Écolenationale supérieure des mines of Paris, began his careerwith the Total Group as Deputy Managing Director Asia forExploration and Production. Subsequently, he joined thecivil service to take up a position as Deputy Governor, Headof Cabinet of the Prefect of Eure-et-Loir (1990-1991) beforebecoming Deputy Governor of Avallon (1991-1992). In 1992,he was appointed Head of Cabinet and Advisor to theFrench Minister for Agriculture.

Mr. Le Roy has held various positions within the United Nations: Deputy Special Coordinator in Sarajevo(1995), Regional Administrator in Kosovo (1999-2000) and Under-Secretary-General in charge ofpeacekeeping operations (2008-2011). After serving as National Coordinator of the Stability Pact for SouthEast Europe, he was appointed European Union Special Representative in Macedonia. Within the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs, before becomingAmbassador of France to Madagascar and Ambassador in charge of the Union for the Mediterranean Project.Formerly Honorary Senior Counsellor at the French Cour des comptes, Mr. Alain Le Roy is elevated to the dignity of Ambassador of France and Special Envoy for the International Covid Response Initiative in Africa. On theother hand, he is an Officer of the Legion of Honour and a Former member of the following Boards ofDirectors: GDF, CNES, Villa Médicis and the Supervisory Board of the AFD.

Mr Heraldo Muñoz has held a number of positions within the Chilean Government, including Minister of Foreign Affairs (2014–2018), Minister Secretary-General of Government, Ambassador of Chile to Brazil, and Ambassador of Chile to the United Nations, where he served as President of the Security Council (January 2004). Previously, he was United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

As Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Muñoz championed ocean protection, advocating for the inclusion of ocean conservation as one of the 17 goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and organising the “Our Ocean” conference in Chile. Under his leadership, Chile established numerous marine protected areas, enabling the country to place approximately 43 per cent of its exclusive economic zone under protection by 2018, compared with 4.2 per cent in 2014.

Paul Polman is an internationally recognised business leader, philanthropist, investor, speaker, and advocate for sustainable development.

As CEO of Unilever (2009–2019), he pioneered a more responsible and purpose-driven business model, demonstrating that sustainability delivers superior performance. During his tenure, shareholder returns increased by 290% while the company was consistently ranked as the world’s most sustainable business and one of the world’s best places to work.

A co-architect of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he continues to drive system-wide change by developing industry coalitions, accelerating leadership, and advancing sustainable finance through board roles, impact investments, and strategic advisory positions.

He chairs Oxford Saïd Business School, One Young World, and The Valuable 500, and serves on global advisory boards including Temasek, the World Trade Organization, SMBC, Allianz, and Systemiq. Paul sits on the boards of The Rockefeller Foundation, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and the European Climate Foundation. He co-chairs the Planetary Guardians, and is a co-founder and Chair Emeritus of IMAGINE. He leads pioneering initiatives through his own foundation and regenerative farm. Previously, Paul chaired the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the UN Global Compact, and The B Team, and continues to advise governments navigating economic and sustainability transitions.

Paul is co-author of the bestselling book “Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take ”which was recognised by the Financial Times and Thinkers50 as one of the top business books of the year.

Widely honoured, he is one of the few business leaders to receive the UN’s highest environmental award, a Knighthood from the United Kingdom, France’s Légion d’honneur, Singapore’s Public Service Star, and the Oslo Business for Peace Award.

Ms Sunita Narain has worked at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) since 1982. She is currently Director General of the CSE, Director of the Society for Environmental Communications, and Editor of Down To Earth magazine. Previously, she served as a Member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change and as a Member of the National Ganga Basin Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister and established to develop strategies.

Sally Yozell’s research examines the suite of environmental threats that have the potential to undermine national, regional, or global security. Her work focuses on ocean security, climate security and wildlife protection.

As Director at the Stimson Center, Mrs Yozell led a team of experts exploring the links between natural resources protection, environmental crime and global security issues to develop security strategies that combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, thwart illicit wildlife networks and increase transparency and traceability throughout the seafood supply chain. She also devises innovative resiliency strategies to address climate and ocean risk, particularly in coastal cities. Since 2017 Yozell has served in an advisory role to the host governments for the annual global Our Ocean Conference. She and her team conduct research and take it to action by engaging civil society, governments and the private sector.

Prior to joining Stimson, Yozell was a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State where she provided advice and technical expertise to advance U.S. policies in the international arena related to ocean, climate, and wildlife protection. She joined the State Department to support and manage the Our Ocean Conferences in 2014 and 2016 where her efforts helped steward close to $10 billion in conservation commitments and investments in marine protected areas, including the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands, and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments.

While at the State Department Yozell led government wide efforts to combat IUU fishing, including initiating a global seafood traceability program, working to successfully ratify the Port State Measures Agreement Treaty. She also designed policies with partners in the G-7 countries to reduce marine litter, and was instrumental in the global strategy that successfully created the world’s largest marine protected area in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. In addition, she worked closely with civil society and ocean partners to include the role of the ocean in the international climate negotiations.

Previously, Yozell served as Director of Policy and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She also worked as a Regional Director for Marine Conservation at The Nature Conservancy; was a Vice President in the applied marine science group at Battelle Memorial Institute; and worked for almost a decade in the U.S. Senate as an environment and energy advisor to Senator John Kerry.

Yozell holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont.

Mr Thierry Vandevelde, Doctor of Science and engineer specialising in water-related issues, is currently Executive Director of the VEOLIA Foundation, which is committed to sustainable development in France and internationally. Previously, he held several positions, including Head of Environmental Protection at the Compagnie Générale des Eaux, Head of Research Programmes, and subsequently Director of Technologies within Veolia Water’s International Technical Division.

Mr Vandevelde is a member of the American Water Works Association and serves as Secretary of the French Committee of the Water Solidarity Programme (pS-Eau). He also sits on the Boards of several non-profit organisations. He is a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Photo © Ingenweyen Bruchhaus